Man who stalked woman for 7 years gets 33 months

A west suburban man who has been stalking a Elmhurst waitress for seven years was sentenced to 33 months in prison Thursday after a DuPage judge said all other remedies had been exhausted.

William J. Foster, 53, has been arrested and convicted more than a dozen times of criminal trespass, stalking and disorderly conduct in DuPage County, all stemming from his apparent infatuation with the server, who said she had never met him.

In February 2003, Foster ordered a drink from the woman and left a diamond ring on the bar when he departed, Assistant State's Attorney Cathy DeLaMar said.

"When he returned the next day, she returned the ring and he said he wanted her to have it and that he wanted to marry her," DeLaMar said.

Police said they have repeatedly tried to deter Foster from continuing to try to contact the woman.

"He kept telling police he loved her, and he sent numerous letters over the years saying he wanted to impregnate her and start a family," DeLaMar said. Several times he appeared at her parents' Elmhurst home trying to get some of her personal information.

One time he left her movie tickets, asking her to met him at the theater, which she declined.

After several of his arrests, he wrote her from jail asking for bail money and professing his love and desire to start a family with her, DeLaMar said.

Assistant Public Defender Brian Jacobs said Foster "has a mental obsession. As long as he is on his meds, he is OK, but he makes the conscious decision to stop and he needs to be tightly controlled."

But DeLaMar said, "the victim hasn't been able to lead a normal life for seven years. She can't walk around the block without fear that he will pop up."

She said that Foster has been treated at numerous mental health centers and has received almost constant counseling over the years.

A court-ordered mental health evaluation said that Foster has many mental health issues but that he was able to understand the consequences of his actions.

In April, Foster showed up again at the Elmhurst bar and approached the victim, resulting in a felony stalking charge.

"That's enough," DuPage Judge Daniel Guerin said Thursday. "You have held her hostage for seven years. You certainly have taken it up a notch."

The judge said that although Foster had not physically harmed the woman, "I consider the threat to impregnate a threat of harm. The system has tried to address your problems, but nothing has worked. "You have a history of stopping your medication, and I can't sit idly by"

The victim sat in the rear of the courtroom and declined to make any public statement.

Foster apologized to the victim, and said, "I wish her nothing but happiness. I need to stay out of Elmhurst."